Shapovalov joins Open talent drain
IT NEVER rains but it pours at the US Open. It was bad enough that five of the top names in the men’s game failed to make the starting line thanks to injury.
It was grim when higher ranked seeds, young and old, failed to make it through the first week.
But yesterday, as the rain came down again, the wreckage of the bottom half of the men’s draw finally crumbled to dust when Denis Shapovalov was sent packing by Pablo Carreno Busta, the world No19 from Spain.
The 18-year-old Canadian has been tipped by the good and the great as a star in the making but, as yet, he is still a rookie.
And against an old pro like Carreno Busta, 26, the raw edges showed as he was beaten 7-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Carreno Busta had never played in the Arthur Ashe Stadium before – his name is not quite big enough to earn a regular billet there – but given his moment in the limelight and the chance to reach only the second Grand Slam quarter-final of his career, he was solid, dependable and immovable.
Shapovalov, with his lefty serve, his one-handed backhand and welting forehand, hit 54 winners. But he also made 55 unforced errors.
Carreno Busta hit a modest 25 winners but he only made 29 errors – and that was the story of the match.
When it came to the three tiebreaks, Shapovalov went for his flashy winners but kept missing the mark; Carreno Busta simply screwed down his concentration a little tighter and did not give the Canadian a sniff of a chance.
“I just tried to fight all the time,” said Carreno Busta. “Every point was important for me. You never know when your opponent is going to drop a little bit or make a mistake, so I just try to fight all the time.
“In the second set I was 5-3 with my serve and I lost it. So I tried to continue and be focused on my game.”
But Shapovalov will be back and he is learning fast. As he left the court, he stopped to applaud the crowd and brought the house down by doing so. The New Yorkers love him and the rest of the world is beginning to sit up and take notice of this potential champion of the future. He first made his mark at the Rogers Cup in Montreal last month, beating Rafael Nadal on his way to the semi-finals.
Now, by qualifying for the main draw in New York and getting to the fourth round, he has raised his ranking to No51. This summer has been the making of Shapovalov.
“It was so much fun to be part of that atmosphere and the match and this whole two weeks,”said Shapovalov. “It’s another life-changing event for me, and it’s thanks to the crowd. They have been really carrying me.
“But the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that I’m able to compete with these guys.”